So, we had our pool partially installed fall 2012 then completed spring of 2013 and needless to say the process was a complete train wreck which I won't go into. However, by the end of the summer 2013 everything seemed to be running well and the had the pool closed for the winter. Now that we're opening it, there seems to be a couple issues. 1) The gasket between the top and bottom parts of our filter seems to have deteriorated to the point that it's in pieces. 2) the part that's set in the cement that holds the ladder on the side of the pool has also corroded and needs to be replaced 3) Last year I noticed "rust" on the ladder treads where the treads meet the side rail. The guy opening my pool said it seems to be way too soon for these types of items to break down and asked if the pool installer had also installed a "sacrificial" anode in the system(he had already left the pool and was asking these questions on the phone). He said it's normally between the heater and the filter itself. Can someone give me a little guidance as to what that is, what it might look like, is it really a part that should be there, etc? I'm really not looking forward to another season of pool issues.